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FLORA™ 3 FRED 

PIAY HOUSEKEEPING 

Laura Rountree Smith/ 


O 

ft > 

0 > 

) 1 > 

» 


the trade mark 



for the 

HAPPY CHILD 






















* 



Copyright 1923 
Stanton & Van Vliet Co. 
Chicago, Ill. 

Printed in United States of America 


hX 



OCT 26 23 


©C1A760551 

/* 
















CHAPTER 1. 


INVITATION 

GOOD HEALTH BROWN BREAD 

If you will look within this book, 

Hans and Hilda you will meet; 

In wooden shoes they bear the 
news, 

“Our cooking 1 is sweet and good to 
eat.” 

One day Hilda was cooking in a wee 
little kitchen in Holland far across the 
sea. She had to work alone and she 
sighed, 

“A Cooking Club would be such fun; 

I wish the plan was half begun.” 

To her surprise, the four white plates 
on the plate rack on the wall began to 


3 


4 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


rattle, and they began to talk in their 
crisp, china voices. 

Said each plate upon the shelf, 
“Why don’t you start the Club your¬ 
self?” 

Hilda smiled and started to wash the 
kitchen floor. 

Said the Mop upon the Floor, 

“I thought of the Cooking Club be¬ 
fore.” 

Over and over in Hilda’s mind the 
words kept coming, “A Cooking Club, A 
Cooking Club.” 

She said, “I think each Tiny Tot 
Will enjoy the idea like as not.” 

My, how clean Hilda’s kitchen was. 

Everything in her kitchen shone clear 
and bright. 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 5 


To her surprise, the well polished kitch¬ 
en table began to talk. 

Said the wooden kitchen table, 

“To start the Cooking Club you’re 
able.” 

“My,” said Hilda, “what fun we Tiny 
Tots could have cooking together, and 
planning together, and eating our meals 
together. It is not much fun to have to 
cook or play alone.” 


“The Club’s a good idea, I declare,” 
Said the wooden kitchen chair. 


Hilda laughed and said, “I never knew 
so much magic in the kitchen in all my 
life. Everything has a voice and every¬ 
thing talks to me.” She was wondering 
what she would hear next, 


6 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


When the blue tiles upon the wall 
Said, “I like your idea best of all.” 

Hilda was nearly done with her morn¬ 
ing work when she remembered she had 
not shaken the blue rug on the floor. As 
she picked it up, her eyes grew big with 
surprise for under one corner she found 
a round, shining, golden florin, which, in 
American money would be about forty 
cents. 

The rug fairly shouted to her, 

“The Club will need supplies, you know, 

So to the grocery store please go.” 

Hilda said, “It is like living in a Fairy 
Tale today, for everything talks to me 
and I have delightful surprises.” 

“I am not surprised at all,” 

Said the bed within the wall. 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 7 


Hilda had a funny bed built in the wall, 
and in the day time she drew a curtain 
across it. 

“The Club will be a success, that’s cer¬ 
tain,” 

Said the pretty new,blue curtain. 

I 

Hilda said, “I will have to put on a 
clean dress and clean bonnet and my 
woodien shoes. I will have to take my 
market basket and go to town. I will have 
to tell brother Hans about the Cooking 
Club.” 

She said, 

“I wonder how the florin came there; 

It was a fine surprise, I declare.” 

Hilda put on her dress with the pretty 
blue and red stripes upon it, and she put 


8 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


on a cute little white cap with red and 
yellow trimming 1 . 

She said, 

“I can walk miles to tell the news, 

In my funny wooden shoes.” 

“Clump, clump, clump,” went the wood¬ 
en shoes across the kitchen, and then and 
there a surprising thing happened. 

A Fairy came bounding into the kitch¬ 
en, and said, 

“I am really on a vacation; 

I am the Fairy Invitation. 

To the Cooking Club let us invite, 
With invitation most polite.” 

Hilda said, “How will we invite the 
children to join the Cooking Club?” 

The Fairy Invitation waved a magic 
wand and there were the Invitations all 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 9 

neatly written in dainty little envelopes 
ready to take out. 

The Invitations read, 

“Hilda and Hans request the pleasure 
of your company on December 30th at 
four o’clock to form a Cooking Club. 

40 Holland Avenue. 

Tuesday, December fourth.” 

Hilda put the invitations in her basket 
and said, “It is fine to wave a wand and 
have all the invitations ready. I am glad 
to meet you, Fairy Invitation.” 

Fairy Invitation said, 

“Don’t forget Flora and Fred.” 

“Who are Flora and Fred?” asked Hil¬ 
da, but Fairy Invitation had gone. 


10 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


“Tap, tap, tap,” sounded on the door 
and brother Hans stood there smiling. 
He had rapped just for fun. 

Now, if you made sixteen guesses you 
could not imagine what were the first 
words he said, 

“Our neighbor sent me on ahead 
To get a recipe for Brown Bread; 

I left her busy at the tub; 

Why don’t we form a COOKING 
CLUB?” 

/ 

Hilda was delighted to think Brother 
Hans liked the idea of Cooking, too, and 
she said, 

“For the Brown Bread rule we’ll look 

In Mother’s Old-Fashioned Cook 
Book.” 

They laughed, for Mother had put the 
rule in verse and it read, 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 11 

“Good Health Brown Bread. 

One quart of sour milk take, 
Measure it, make no mistake, 

Of saleratus a tablespoon, 

You will stir the mixture soon, 
Two-thirds pint of molasses pour, 
Be careful to not get any more, 

A little salt and graham flour 
Add, and bake one and a half 
hours.” 

Hans said, “‘How much flour do you 
add, and how much salt?” 

Hilda said, “You put in flour until it 
stirs about as thick as a cake mixture, 
and you add just a pinch of salt, about a 
quarter of a teaspoonful. You pour it 
in three greased pans and bake it in a 
hot oven.” 

Hans put the rule they copied in his 
pocket and Hilda put the invitations in 


12 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 

one basket and hung it on her arm and 
she put the round, shining, gold florin in 
another basket and hung it on her other 
arm, and said she was ready to go to 
town. 

Said Hans, “Excuse me, if I ask it, 
“What have you got in the other bas¬ 
ket?” 

Hilda laughed and told Hans what had 
happened while he was out. 

He said, “We will have a celebration, 
And ask Fairy Invitation.” 

In the meantime the children were 
planning how they would make one, 
round, shining, gold florin go a long way 
in helping entertain their little guests. 
They said they could buy lemons for lem¬ 
onade and some crispy crackers to serve 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 13 


when they had the first meeting of the 
Cooking Club. 

Hans looked like an old man with his 
trousers rolled up, and he wore a gay red 
velvet jacket and cap. 

Hilda ran on to the grocery store and 
Hans dropped the invitations at every 
house they came to. 

Now, wasn’t it astonishing that on that 
very day so many children in Holland 
thought it would be fun to form a Cook¬ 
ing Club, before they got their invita¬ 
tions, so when they got their invitations 
they were not at all surprised and said, 

“We will reply and fall in line; 

The Cooking Club idea is fine.” 

Hilda and Hans met to go home and 
Hans said, 


14 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


“Hilda, I’ll tell you what we’ll do, 

We’ll form a Cooking Club of two; 
And while the children are on the 
way, 

We can turn work into play.” 

Hilda said, “That will be a fine idea.” 

Hilda continued, “Just see how far I 
made my round, shining gold florin go. 
Just see all the supplies I have in my bas¬ 
ket. We must practice cooking before 
the other children come.” 

Now wasn’t it funny that all over town 
the children said the same thing? They 
all wanted to practice cooking before the 
day came for the meeting of the Cooking 
Club. 

Hans said, “It is such fun to plan 
things,” and Hilda said, “It is such fun to 
have happy things to think about.” 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 15 


Fairy Invitation peeped in the window, 
singing-, 

“I have learned now, to my sorrow, 
Many people have to borrow; 

Prepare today for tomorrow, 

So you will not have to borrow.” 

Hilda and Hans laughed for that very 
day one neighbor had borrowed salt, and 
one neighbor had borrowed sugar, and 
one neighbor had sent to borrow the rule 
for Good Health Brown Bread. 

Fairy Invitation sang again, 

“Hilda and Hans, please make out a list 
Of kitchen things before they are 
missed.” 

The children sat down at once and 
made out a list of things needed in the 
kitchen, and said, “We hope Fairy Invi¬ 
tation will call again.” 



















Chapter Two 

ANTICIPATION 

A RHYMING RECIPE 



























CHAPTER 2 


ANTICIPATION 
A RHYMING RECIPE 

One day Hilda and Hans said, “Oh, 
Mother, we want to get ready for our 
Cooking Club.” 

Mother said, “Some folks, alas! 

Have only to turn on the gas; 

But to cook if we desire, 

We must build a kitchen fire.” 

Hans said, “Let me get the kindling for 
the stove.” 

Hilda said, “Let me get it, let me get 
it.” 

Mother said, 

“Careful workmen, I suppose, 
Think it best to wear old clothes.” 


19 


20 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 

Hilda took the hint and put on her lit¬ 
tle red calico dress and her second best 
cap, and Hans put on his old suit with the 
patches on the trousers. He wore his 
second best cap, too, and the children got 
kindling and laid the fire in the cooking 
stove. 

They put in first paper, then kindling, 
then wood. 

They laid the fire entirely and then 
struck a match to light it. 

At the door they met a new Fairy. 

Said the Fairy, “How do you do? 

Myself I introduce to you; 

I hope you’ll like your fine vacation; 

I am Fairy Anticipation.” 

The children cried, “Oh, you cunning 
little Fairy, will you help us all day long?” 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 21 


The Fairy said, “Just put on these 
glasses a minute and look through them, 
and I will show you wonderful things. I 
can make you enjoy things by seeing 
them a long way off.” 

“Oh” and “Ah,” cried the children, 
“What a wonderful Fairy! What won¬ 
derful glasses you have to look through.” 

Fairy Anticipation said, “Can’t you see 
a well set table and rows of happy faces? 
Can’t you see everything cooked well by 
the Tiny Tots? Can’t you see much fun 
coming for the Cooking Club?” 

Hilda and Hans laughed merrily and 
said, “Do stay and help us with our cook¬ 
ing today.” 

Said the Fairy, “There’s much to learn; 

Open the dampers to make a fire burn.” 


22 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


Hilda said, “What shall I do next?” 

Hans said, “Please tell me what to do.” 

Fairy Anticipation said, 

“I am really glad you are wide awake; 
Do you mean to stew? Do you mean to 
bake?” 


The children thought for a while and 
finally decided they would make some 
cookies, for the Fairy said, 

“Ha, ha, I have traveled near and far, 
But here is an empty cookie jar.” 

“Hurrah! hurrah!” cried the Twins. 

“Do tell us how to begin. We want to 
make good cookies today.” 

The Fairy said, 

“If a prize for cookies you would win, 
Have everything ready to begin. 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 23 

Even little cooks are able 
To have utensils on the table.” 

“Prizes? utensils?” said the children in 
happy voices. 

The Fairy said, 

‘Til give a prize of mistletoe 
For the very best cookies you know; 
The utensils are things you use, 

So fix the table if you choose.” 

Hilda ran and got out the rolling board 
and rolling pin, and Hans got out four 
tin pans. Then, Hilda got a mixing bowl 
and spoon, and Hans got out the sugar 
and milk and so on. 

Just as they were ready to read the 
Cookie Rule, Fairy Anticipation said, 

“In Cooking Clubs each son and daugh¬ 
ter 

Washes hands with soap and water.” 


24 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 

The children laughed and washed their 
hands and cleaned their little finger 
nails, and Hans read the cookie rule 
while Hilda put the things together. 

A Cookie Rule. 

Take one cup of sugar white, 

Beat in a cup of shortening light; 
Cooking sets my heart a-flutter, 
(Shortening means the lard or but¬ 
ter.) 

Take of sour milk half a cup, 

One teaspoon soda, beat it all up; 
One half spoon vanilla and one egg 
put in, 

(To roll them out you’ll soon be¬ 
gin;) 

Add flour and work it in a ball, 
Then this direction last of all, 

Roll them out as smooth as butter, 
Cut them with a cookie cutter. 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 25 


To grease the pans we ’most forgot, 
Then bake them in an oven hot; 
One thing more before you stop, 
Sprinkle sugar on the top. 

The children put a raisin in the center 
of each cookie, too. 

Soon the children had four pans of 
cookies in the oven. 

Fairy Anticipation said, 

“Just think how good they are to eat, 
For cookies sweet are quite a treat.” 

She suggested next that the children 
should wash all the dishes they had used, 
and wipe up the kitchen floor and put ev¬ 
erything in order while the cookies 
baked. 

She got out a nice, clean dish towel her¬ 
self for them to lay the cookies out on up¬ 
on the table when they took them out of 


26 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


the oven. In twenty-five minutes the 
cookies were done and the children took 
them with a knife out of the pans and put 
them on the towel. 

“Rap-a-tap,” sounded on the door. 
“Ting-a-ling,” sounded the telephone 

and in trooped the children from far and 
near, Willie Why, and the Calico Girl, 
and Johnny-Jump-Up, and all the neigh¬ 
bors’ children came and those who could 
not come telephoned that they would be 
on hand next time. 

Right then and there, the Tiny Tots 
formed their Cooking Club. 

It was lucky, I do declare, 

Two cookies a-piece and none to 
spare, 

Then Hilda and Hans smiled and 
said, 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 27 


“Where are the children, Flora and 
Fred?” 

Willie Why said, “They are cute lit¬ 
tle twins and they live across the sea in 
America but they are coming to visit us 
some day.” He added, “I wonder why they 
do not come sooner?” 

The Calico Girl said, “I will send them 
my invitation, and Johnny-Jump-Up 
jumped up to go before they had even a 
president for the new Cooking Club. 

They decided to practice cooking a 
while and then meet and have a feast at 
the different houses. 

Johnny-Jump-Up tossed up his cap and 
shouted, 

“ ‘Tis more fun to cook than to rub and 
scrub, 

Hurrah! hurrah! for the Cooking 
Club.” 


28 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


The children made out a list of things 
they would practice making at home, and 
decided that, later on they would have a 
cooking contest. 

Fairy Anticipation sang, 

“Make your plans whatever you do, 

Twill be something to look forward 
to, 

Anticipation is lots of fun; 

Come on, and get your cooking done.” 

The children decided that they wanted 
to make Good Health Food and to cook 
things they could pack in a school room 
lunch. 

Johnny-Jump-Up danced around and 
shouted, 

“Three cheers for the Tiny Tots, we say; 

Three cheers we give—we are off and 
away.” 



Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 29 


The children skated merrily homeward 
and Hilda and Hans went clump, clump, 
clump, in their wooden shoes. 

As they took off their shoes, they sang 
a little sleepy song to the tune of “Light¬ 
ly Row.” 

“Wooden shoes, wooden shoes, 
Travel far to carry news, 

If you choose, if you choose, 

Wear some wooden shoes. 

Wooden shoes suggest, you know, 
Many places nice to go; 

Wooden shoes, wooden shoes, 
Chase away the blues.” 

Hilda and Hans each put one shoe out¬ 
side the door, for it was Christmas Eve 
and St. Nicholas might call. They put a 
little hay in each shoe for his reindeer. 

As they came through the hall, Hilda 
stood still for a minute. 


30 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 

Fairy Anticipation whispered some¬ 
thing to Hans and he hurried and kissed 
Hilda as she stood under the mistletoe. 

The children went to sleep in their wee 
little beds in the wall and dreamed about 
St. Nicholas and his reindeer. 

Fairy Anticipation was busy helping 
little children dream all over the world on 
Christmas Eve. Some children, in some 
countries, hung up stockings, and some 
children put their shoes outside the door 
waiting for presents. 

Early next day when Hans woke up 
Hilda was already out of bed. She ran 
down stairs to find her wooden shoe. 

Hans and Hilda were happy for their 
shoes were filled with candy, and cake, 
and nuts, and there was a mysterious 
package in each shoe. 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 31 


They opened the mysterious packages 
and found the nicest little cookie cutters 
in the world. The cookie cutters were 
shaped like animals. 

“Oh,” and “Ah,” cried the children. “We 
can make a cookie dog now and a ginger¬ 
bread horse and all kinds of cute animals 
with the new cutters.” 

They were glad and gay and made a play 
Of cooking away on Christmas Day. 

Fairy Anticipation said, 

“Hilda and Hans, Hilda and Hans, 

Be very careful to wash your hands, 
To be skillful cooks you mean, 

So, do be careful to be clean.” 

The Fairy added that the children 
might find another present in the parlor. 
They ran in and found a pretty red cov- 


32 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


ered book with gilt letters upon it. The 
book was called, “The Tiny Tot’s Cook 
Book.” The children cried, 

“We are happy, oh come and look, 
Hurrah! hurrah! for the wee Cook 
Book.” 





..|v 

850-2 




ANTICIPATION 






© K. CO. INC. N.Y. 





















Chapter Three 

CO-OPERATION 

GOOD HEALTH GINGER SNAPS 































CHAPTER 3 


CO-OPERATION 
GOOD HEALTH GINGER SNAPS 

Hilda and Hans wanted to use the fan¬ 
cy tin cookie cutters that Saint Nicholas 
had left for them, so mother suggested 
that they make some Good Health Gin¬ 
ger Snaps. 

Hilda went to the little cupboard and 
said, 

“As I see molasses on the shelf, 

I can reach up and help myself.” 

She put a pint of molasses on the stove 
to boil. 

The butter jar was up on such a high 
shelf that Hans had to climb up on the 
table to reach it. 


35 


36 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


Hilda got out a bowl and spoon and 
Hans got out the rolling pin. 

“Ho, ho, ho,” said the Rolling Pin, 
“You are not ready to begin, 

Till everything at hand you see 
Required in the recipe.” 

The children got out sugar, and gin¬ 
ger, and flour, and said, 

“Our Cooking Club will be such fun, 

To practice cooking we’ve begun.” 

The kitchen table began to talk, and 
said, 


“Get on aprons, for I suppose 
You don’t want to soil your 
clothes.” 

Hilda looked down at her clean dress 
and Hans looked at his clean trousers. 
They ran to get out their aprons and ev¬ 
ery day caps. 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 37 


The Tea Kettle sang merrily, 

“Hear me bubble, bubble, bubble; 

To empty ashes is some trouble.” 

Hans took the hint and emptied the 
ashes and soon the fire burned merrily. 

A merry voice then called, 

“Ho, ho, for cooks with smiling face; 

I hope you keep things in their place.” 

The children knew it was a fairy voice 
but they looked all about and could not 
find the fairy. Was she hiding in the cup¬ 
board, or clock, or cookie-jar?” 

The merry voice called again, 

“At Christmas time you have vacation, 

Meet the Fairy Co-Operation; 

We give no heed to stormy weather; 

Hurrah! hurrah! we work together.” 


38 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


The children said, “You cunning- little 
Fairy, do come out and tell us how to put 
our ginger-snaps together.” 

The Fairy did not come out but she 
sang distinctly, 

“At Ginger-Snap making I often toil, 
Bring a pint of molasses to a boil; 
Then, before you take your ease, 

Add a cup of butter, please, 

A cup of brown sugar, too, 

And a teaspoon of soda add, please do; 
A tablespoon of Ginger take, 

Measure it—make no mistake; 

Cook skillfully a prize to win, 

Add flour enough to roll out thin.” 

Hans and Hilda laughed and said, “It 
is fun to cook in this dear little kitchen 
with a Fairy to give us directions.” 

“Roll out thin—roll out thin,” 
Reminded the Wooden Rolling-Pin. 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 39 

The children used their cute little tin 
cutters and Hans cut out a dog and Hil¬ 
da cut out a cat; then Hans used his 
Squirrel cookie-cutter, and Hilda used 
her horse cookie-cutter, and soon they 
put their cute animal-shaped ginger- 
snaps into greased pans and placed them 
in the oven.. 

“Cooking is fun, cooking is fun; 

Watch your oven until it’s done,” 

reminded the Fairy who worked with 
them and continued, 

“Hans and Hilda, take a turn; 

Do not let your cooking burn.” 

Hilda made up a little song while Hans 
watched the oven. She sang to the tune 
of “Lightly Row,” and Hans danced as 
best he could in his clumsy wooden shoes. 


40 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


“Wooden shoes, wooden shoes, 
Travel far to spread the news; 
Wooden shoes, wooden shoes, 

Dance well if they choose. 

Clump, clump, clump, you hear them 
go, 

Sometimes fast and sometimes slow; 
Wooden shoes, wooden shoes, 

Carry pleasant news.” 

A merry voice cried, 

“I enjoy songs like these, 

But don’t forget the dampers, 
please.” 

Hilda saw her fire was going too hard 
so she closed up the dampers of the stove 
and Hans said, “Where are you hiding, 
little Fairy Co-Operation?” 

The Fairy wanted to keep that secret 
but sang gayly, 

































Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 41 

“Your voice has a happy sound; 

Turn the Ginger - Snap pans 
around.” 

Hans turned the pans round in the 
oven so they would bake more evenly, 
and he said again, “Where are you hid¬ 
ing, you cute little Fairy?” 

The Fairy answered, 

“Ha, ha, ha, I dance and shout; 
Don’t forget to take them out, 
Cooking is really lots of fun; 

Don’t forget when things get done.” 

Soon the Ginger Snaps were all done 
and put out on a clean cloth on the table. 

Hans said, “Hurrah! I am going out to 
play ball,” and Hilda said, “Hurrah! I am 
going out to skate.” 


42 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


Fairy Co-Operation called, 

“No, no, no, stop and think, 

[Wash up the dishes in the sink.” 

The children laughed merrily and said, 
“Where are you hiding? Won’t you come 
out just a minute?” 

They washed up their dishes and 
looked high and low for the Fairy but 
they could not find her, though they often 
heard her little tinkling laugh. 

They had just put everything in order 
and packed a basket of cookies to take to 
grandma when the postman came, and 
brought a letter from Flora and Fred. 

The letter said, 

“Dear Hilda and Hans, 

We are jolly twins, too, and we will be 
happy to join your Cooking Club. We will 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 43 

soon come to Holland and, in the mean¬ 
time, we will practice making things in 
our own kitchen, and we hope the Fairies 
will help us. 

Your loving friends, 

Flora and Fred.” 

“Do they have Fairies in America?” 
asked Hans. 

Hilda said, “I believe there are Fairies 
everywhere all over the world.” 

Fairy Co-Operation sang, 

“Go out and play, go out and play, 
And enjoy your holiday; 

Every child who is wise 
Takes some healthy exercise.” 

Hans and Hilda went out to play, leav¬ 
ing the basket of Ginger Snaps ready for 
grandma on the shelf. 


44 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


As a surprise, grandma came to sup¬ 
per. 

Grandma said, “I wish I had some old- 
fashioned Ginger Snaps. I almost 
thought I smelled some cooking when I 
came in.” 

Hilda and Hans said, “Since you ask it, 
Grandma, here is a little basket; 
These Ginger Snaps we think a treat; 
We hope you’ll find them good to eat.” 

Grandma was so pleased that she said 
the next day she would send the Twins 
some fine big spoons with wooden han¬ 
dles, so they would not burn their hands 
when cooking hot things upon the stove. 

She said, 

“Your snaps are so good, without doubt, 
A little Fairy must be about.” 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 45 


That night, Hilda called (to Hans, “I 
wonder where the Fairy is hiding.” Hans 
was already asleep, so Hilda crept down 
by herself into the neat, clean kitchen 
and called, 

“Fairy, Fairy, where do you keep? 

Fairy, Fairy, are you asleep?” 

To her surprise, Fairy Co-Operation 
sang, 

“I could have answered you before; 

I’m dancing in the table drawer.” 

Hilda opened the table drawer and 
Fairy Co-Operation danced lightly on top 
of the table singing, 

“I am always happy—very, 

I am the Co-Operation Fairy; 
Cookie-Cutters are such fun, 
Hurrah! hurrah! the cooking is 
done.” 










Chapter Four 

ANNEXATION 

COOKING CLUB CAKES 



















CHAPTER 4 


ANNEXATION 

COOKING CLUB CAKES 

Little Fairy Annexation 
Said, “Sometimes I cause vexation 
For many times I help myself 
To things from off the pantry 
shelf.” 

Once upon a time, on the First of April, 
Hilda said to herself, “How can I play an 
April Fool joke on Hans?” and Hans was 
wondering at the same time if he could 
think of a joke to play on Hilda. 

By and by, Hilda said, 

“I will make some cakes with cotton in¬ 
side; 


49 


50 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


On the high shelf, these cakes I’ll 
hide.” 

She made some nice little cakes, and 
in two of them put cotton, and when they 
were baked she set the two cakes on the 
shelf. 

The Fairy talked to her every little 
while and before she mixed up her little 
cakes fairly shouted, 

“Clean your finger nails, every one, 
And wash before the task’s begun.” 

This is the way Hilda made her little 
cakes . 

She took one cup of sugar and worked 
one tablespoon of butter into it with 
her clean little hands. Hilda then took 
three eggs, well beaten, and added to her 
sugar and butter one and a half cups of 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 51 

flour, a heaping teaspoon of Baking Pow¬ 
der and half a cup of milk, then, 

She beat and beat with all her might, 

To make her cake come smooth and 
light. 

She greased two dozen little pans and 
dropped in her cakes and baked them in 
a hot oven. She only put a bit of cotton 
in two of the cakes for an April Fool joke, 
of course. The rest of the little cakes 
were ready to serve for tea. 

Little Hans had been reading about 

The “Knave of Hearts who stole some 
tarts.” 

The cakes, when they were done and 
put on the shelf, looked very like tarts 
to him, so he said to himself, “I will play 
a joke on Hilda this April Fool day and 
take one of the cakes and eat it, and she 
will wonder where it has gone.” 


52 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


Hilda peeped at him from behind the 
door. 

My, what a face he made when he bit 
into the cotton. 

Hilda shouted, “April Fool.” 

Mother said, “Your cakes are so good 
you can invite the Tiny Tots to supper 
and serve ice cream, too. 

Then mother said, “Tiny Tots are able 
To learn to set a supper table.” 

She was called away, but the Fairy 
helped them and sang cute little jingles 
that you or I would like to hear. She sang, 

“Set the supper table right; 

Put on a clean cloth smooth and 
white.” 

The children put on a clean cloth and 
the Fairy cried, 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 53 


“For my directions, now please wait, 
Knife at right, fork at left of plate; 
The spoon in front will look quite well, 
Now, other useful things I’ll tell. 

A napkin on your plate we see, 

A glass stands to the right we agree; 
In the centre of your table 
Place a bouquet, if you’re able.” 

The children had a good-looking sup¬ 
per table and the Fairy sang, 

“What will you serve? It is time to look; 

You had better study the old Cook 
Book.” 

Hilda and Hans studied the old Cook 
Book and they made some cute cards to 
put beside their little guests’ plates. 

On each card they drew a picture of a 
little open or closed umbrella because it 
was to be an April supper party, and in 


54 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


April you never knew whether you would 
use your umbrella open or closed. 

They wrote the children’s names upon 
the cards and put one card at each plate. 

They invited Willie Why, and Bennie- 
Behind-Hand, and Johnny-Jump-Up, 
and Sunny Sue, and Billy Brag - , and the 
Calico Girl and many other American 
children who were visiting in Holland. 

The children came dancing in, shout¬ 
ing, 

“Hurrah! hurrah for the Tiny Tots! 
Here is a bunch of forget-me-nots.” 

They gave Hilda and Hans a big bunch 
of forget-me-nots they had bought at the 
Florist’s. 

At supper the Fairy sang, 

“Your Cooking Club, I really think, 
Should have a motto written in ink.” 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 55 


Willie Why asked, “Why should we 
have a motto at all?” 

Johnny Jump-Up said, “We might say 
‘Honesty is the best Policy.’ ” Sunny Sue 
suggested, “We might say, ‘A New 
Broom Sweeps Clean.’ ” 

The children suggested one thing and 
another for a motto, but it was Bennie 
Behind-Hand at last who said, “Waste 
Not, Want Not,” and they all thought 
that was a good and useful motto. 

The Fairy sang, 

“That is a motto that pleases me, 
Because it suggests Thrift, you see.” 

Hilda told about her playing an April 
Fool joke on Hans when the cakes were 
passed and the children laughed. 

After supper they played a game 
called, “Guess What.” 


56 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


One child began to tell a story and 
when she stopped any child supplied the 
missing word. They suggested for miss¬ 
ing words any kitchen article, and they 
had a merry time. 

This is the way the story looked with 
the missing words. 

One day the Cook went into the- 

and put the —kettle on the stove. She 
put on a-by the tea-. 

Soon the water boiled over in the tea- 
-and spilled on the floor. 

She took a-to sweep up the water. 

She stirred the soup in the-with a 

-. Then she took the-off the stove 

and began to wash the-. 

The cat spilled his-of milk on the 

floor and the cook took a — and wiped 
it up. She said, “Will I never get my- 






























Flora and Fied Play Housekeeping 57 

washed? Will I never get my floor- 

up with my-or mop?” 

The children had so much fun with this 
story that they wrote it on cards and 
passed it out and wrote in the words. 
They made so many funny mistakes in 
putting in the word ‘tea-kettle' for the 
word ‘broom,' for instance, that the stor¬ 
ies were funny to read. Can you supply 
the missing words? 

The children said, “Where will we meet 
again and when?" 


Fairy Annexation suggested, 

“A summer kitchen is just the thing; 
The Tiny Tots supplies can bring." 

The Calico Girl said that they could 
meet where she was staying next week 
and cook in the out-door kitchen. 




58 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


Willie Why said, “Why don’t you meet 
where I stay?” 

The children laughed for he was al¬ 
ways asking questions, and Billy Brag 
said, “I have a better kitchen than you 
have but I want the rule for making 
those cute little cakes before we go.” 

Hilda wrote for him, 

Cooking Club Cakes. 

One cup sugar, one tablespoon butter 
Set my heart in quite a flutter; 

Sugar is always sure to sweeten, 

Work it in until well-beaten, 

Three beaten eggs you add and so 
One and a half cups flour add, you 
know; 

Of Baking Powder a big teaspoon take, 
Add half cup of milk, make no mistake. 
Drop in greased pans, cook in oven hot; 
If good, you may eat one on the spot. 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 59 


The children ran merrily home and the 
Calico Girl reminded them, 

“In our summer kitchen on Saturday, 
The Cooking Club may meet and play; 
Each child may cook one thing and 
bring; 

We’ll have a picnic in the spring.” 
Hilda and Hans called, “Good bye.” 

Fairy Annexation said, 

“I stay with children, as a rule, 

But now, I just cry, “April Fool.” 
Keep your pans and pots all bright, 

I’m off and away, good night, good 
night.” 


Chapter Five 

EXPECTATION 

THE TINY TOT’S PICNIC PARTY 














CHAPTER 5 


EXPECTATION 
THE TINY TOT’S PICNIC PARTY 

Little Fairy Expectation 
Gives us a surprise, 

Every child on a vacation 
Can have fun if he tries. 

Hilda woke up and called, “Oh, Hans, 
get up, it is Saturday and our Cooking 
Club meets with the Calico Girl who al¬ 
ways wears a calico dress. We must bake 
something to take with us.” 

Hans said, 

“What shall we bake? What shall we 
bake? 

We don’t want to make a mistake.” 


63 




64 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 

Fairy Expectation said, 

“An apple pudding, as a rule, 

Is enjoyed in Cooking School.” 

Hans peeled some apples and cut them 
up into halves, and quarters, and eighths, 
and Hilda made a pudding. She read 
and mixed, 

“One pint of flour, one tablespoon lard, 
Mix together very hard; 

One egg and enough milk, you see, 

To beat like cake carefully; 

Add Baking Powder a heaping tea¬ 
spoon, 

A pinch of Salt you’ll add quite soon.” 

She poured it in a greased pan and 
Hans put eighths of apples in as close to¬ 
gether as he could, and pressed them in 
well and put one-half cup sugar scat¬ 
tered over the top. 



854-2 EXPECTATION 












































% 




























Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 65 


He made a sauce of sugar and butter, 
He said, “It sets me all a-flutter.” 

They baked the pudding half an hour 
and cooled it and Hans got out his little 
cart. Mother said, 

“I will give you four loaves of bread; 

It’s well to have something ahead.” 

Hans sat down and ate a tiny piece of 
the pudding and washed out the old cof¬ 
fee pot. 

Mother said to Hilda, 

“You are a jolly cook, I guess, 

But go put on a clean gingham 
dress; 

Put on a clean cap, too, 

And a kerchief fresh and new.” 

Hilda looked so sweet that a man pass¬ 
ing by took her picture and Hans’ eyes 


66 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


grew big with surprise. He did not know 
he was in the picture, too. 

“Ho! Ho! Ho!” cried the little cart, 
“Children, it must be time to start!” 

“Ho! Ho!” said the tea-pot on the 
shelf, 

“I will be lonesome by myself.” 

Off ran Hans and Hilda merrily, and 
they were happy as happy could be for 
Fairy Expectation sang, 

“I have really heard it said 
Soon you will meet Flora and Fred.” 

Hans and Hilda skated to the Cooking 
Club and the first question they asked the 
Calico Girl was, “Have Flora and Fred 
come?” 

The Calico Girl said, 

“They have not come as yet today, 
But Mother says they are on the way.” 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 67 

Billy Brag- said, as he bounded in, “I 
know a new way to bake potatoes.” 

The Calico Girl said, 

“Every member, you understand, 
Must stop at once and wash his 
hands.” 

Billy Brag- washed his hands and peel¬ 
ed a potato and put a piece of bacon 
around it, and fastened it in place with a 
toothpick. He put it in a pan in the oven. 

In came Johnny Jump-Up with some 
fine, fresh, crisp lettuce leaves. 

He washed them once, he washed them 
twice; 

He said, “I’ll make them clean and nice.” 

He washed them three times, for, you 
see, 

He wanted them clean as clean could be. 


68 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


Sunny Sue made the salad and she 
would not tell how she made it and Willie 
Why said, “Why won’t you tell how you 
made it?” 


Bennie Behind-Hand cooked some 
sausages and the Calico Girl made coffee 
and Willie Why said, “Why don’t I make 
something?” He said, “We will have 
sausages, and potatoes, and salad, and 
coffee, and apple pudding. Hurrah! hur¬ 
rah!” 

They cooked on the cutest little wood 
stove in the summer kitchen and the Cal¬ 
ico Girl said they could cook there every 
week, except they were almost out of 
wood. 

Willie Why suggested, 

“It would be fun if each child should 
Bring with him a stick of wood.” 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 69 

“Hurrah! hurrah!” cried the children. 

They had a wonderful time and a good 
supper. 

They picked up every crumb and scrap 
for Johnny Jump-Up’s chickens and re¬ 
peated their motto: “Waste Not—Want 
Not.” 

Fairy Expectation said, 

“If I had six and twenty wishes, 

I’d make a game of washing dishes; 
You are merry folks, I’m told, 

Why don’t you play you’re Knights 
of Old?” 

“Hurrah!” cried Hans, “I am the 
Knight of Hot Water.” 

“Hurrah!” cried Hilda, “I am the Lady 
of the Mop.” 


70 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


“Hurrah!” cried the Calico Girl, “I am 
the Lady of the Soap.” 

“Hurrah!” cried Billy Brag 1 , “I am the 
Knight of the Dish Cloth and we will go 
out to conquer a whole army of dishes.” 

My, what a merry time they had. 

It was fun to conquer a whole army of 
dishes and it was fun to be called Knights 
and Ladies. 

They planned to meet every Saturday 
and they said, “We do hope Flora and 
Fred will come next week.” 

As Hilda and Hans went home, Fairy 
Expectation rode in their little cart and 
cried, 

“Let’s give three cheers, strong and 
hearty, 

Hurrah! hurrah! for a Cooking Club 
Party. 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 71 

Fairy Expectation has so much fun, 

Plan out your cooking and soon it’s 
done.” 

The children said, “We will have fun 
telling mother all about our good time 
at the Cooking Club and we will plan to 
make butter to take with us next week.” 


Once in a while Fairy Expectation 
liked to tease, so she said, 

“Will you meet at the Cooking Club 
again? 

What will you do if it should rain? 
What will you do, what will you say, 

If you have a rainy Saturday? 


What will you do, if the children won’t 
work? 

What will you do, if you want to shirk? 


72 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


If the butter won’t come, what’ll you 
do? 

Will you think of something new?” 

“Dear me,” said Hilda, “I thought a 
Fairy was always happy. You must be 
very tired, indeed.” 

“Dear me,” said Hans, “I think Fairy 
Expectation is teasing us.” 

A most unexpected and delightful sur¬ 
prise awaited them. When they got home 
mother cried, 

“You have visitors, if you please, 
Visitors from across the seas.” 


Chapter Six 

AGITATION 

A FAIRY TALE 















CHAPTER 6 


AGITATION 

A FAIRY TALE 

“Churning butter, churning butter, 
Always sets me in a flutter; 

Unless you work and work away, 

The butter will not come today.” 

Hilda and Hans got up early and said 
they would churn before Flora and Fred 
got up. 

Hilda put the cream in the old churn 
and saw it was just warm enough but to 
her surprise the paddle would not work, 
so she had to empty the churn and Hans 
put it on his cart. 

Off Hans went with a hippety-hop, 

Off and away to the carpenter shop. 


75 


76 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


He asked the carpenter to mend the 
churn and the carpenter said, 

“If you’ll take my saw to the Blacksmith 
today, 

I’ll mend the churn while you’re away.” 

Off Hans went with a hippety-hop, 

Off and away to the Blacksmith Shop. 

The Blacksmith said he would sharpen 
the saw if Hans would get him some wood 
for his forge. 

Off Hans went with a hippety-hop, 

Off to get wood for the Blacksmith 
Shop. 

Hans began to chop down a small tree 
when a squirrel called, 

“Hans, don’t chop the tree, be good, 
That is my tree in the woods.” 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 77 


“Dear me,” said Hans, “what will I do 
for wood for the Blacksmith Shop?” 

The squirrel told him about an old rail 
fence that had fallen down and belonged 
to no one, so he began to gather up rails 
and a little Old Man of the Woods ap¬ 
peared and said, 

“Let me tell you, before you commence, 
That is really my own rail fence.” 

“Dear me, who are you?” asked Hans 
in surprise. 

The little Old Man said, 

“I am the Agitation Fairy; 

I am full of mischief very.” 

When Hans told his story, the Fairy said, 
“You may have an armful of wood after 
all,” but added, 


78 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


“This one thing you’d better learn, 
Upon some days butter won’t churn.” 

Hans ran with the wood to the Black¬ 
smith and he sharpened the saw, and the 
Carpenter mended the churn, and Hans 
took it home. 

Hilda said, 

“I’m afraid the butter won’t come at all, 
Because Fairy Agitation made a call.” 

They heated the cream again and, 
will you believe it? 

They churned away an hour or so, 

And still no butter came, you know. 

They said, “There must be something 
in the kitchen that displeases the Fairy 
so our butter does not come.” They 
looked to see if everything was spick, and 
span, and in order. 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 79 

Said the Agitation Fairy, 

“Your kitchen looks untidy very, 

Your old dog’s bone is on the floor, 

And buckets and things many 
more; 

A Cooking Club should have some 
pride 

To keep it clean and sweet inside; 

And Good-Health Rules, so very 
handy, 

Are made in kitchens spick and 
spandy.” 

Hans and Hilda laughed and picked up 
everything and put the kitchen in good 
order and began to churn again and the 
butter came yellow as gold and soon 
they had it out in a bowl and mixed with 
salt, and Fairy Agitation said, 

“You are so happy, glad and gay, 

I think I soon will go away.” 


80 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


Just then Flora and Fred came danc¬ 
ing downstairs and said, 

“It puts us really in a flutter 
To think of Twins who’re making 
butter.” 

They helped Hans and Hilda make 
neat little butter pats and Hans washed 
the churn and put it in the sunshine to 
dry. He said, 

“The sun will dry it without delay, 
And help to keep the germs away.” 

“Rap-a-tap” sounded on the door and 
there stood the Weaver who called once 
a year. He carried his loom with him. 
He came in and began to weave. “Whir- 
whir-whir” went the loom as though it 
sang a song. 

The Weaver said, “I hope you save ev¬ 
erything, little cooks. I hope you put bits 







85N-2 AGITATION 

















Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 81 

of fat in your big pot to save. I hope you 
save bits of bread for bread crumbs and 
for bread pudding.” 

The Weaver said when his linen was 
done he would roll it and tie it with rib¬ 
bon and paper flowers. 

They all crowded round the Weaver 
and asked him what they had better cook 
next. He said, 

“You’re Tiny Tots, but you may risk it, 
To make some Baking Powder Biscuit.” 

Flora and Fred said, 

“Let us help, too, let us help, too; 
Only tell us what to do.” 

The Weaver said, 

“One cup of flour, take in a minute, 
Sift one spoon of Baking Powder in 


82 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


Add a tablespoon butter or lard, 
Add a little milk and stir it hard; 

A pinch of salt will help to season, 
Added for no other reason. 

On a rolling board then mix it, 

Roll out and with a cutter fix it; 

Put biscuits in a nice, greased pan, 
Let stand a quarter of an hour if you 
can. 

If your oven’s hot, without mistake, 
In twenty minutes they will bake; 
They’ll be so light, don’t think it fun¬ 
ny, 

If I call for syrup then, or honey.” 

Fairy Agitation flew hither and thither 
and asked if there was plenty of flour in 
the house, and said, 

“I gave advice since the world began, 
Empty’s your Baking Powder Can, 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 83 


To the store you’ll have to go, 

And get in your supplies, you know.” 

i * 

The children ran to the store for Bak¬ 
ing Powder and passed many windmills. 
Flora and Fred said, “Why do you have 
so many windmills?” 

Hilda and Hans laughed and said, 
“They grind our corn and saw our wood; 
they pump out water, and crush rock, 
and help manufacture paper, but, best of 
all, they help us keep water off the land.” 

They sang merrily, 

“Round and round, round and round, 
Windmills all are turning round, 
High above the ground; 

Merrily they sing, you see, 

‘We are useful as can be; 

Windmills turning round.” 


84 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 

They saw a windmill on fire. It was a 
wonderful sight. It belonged to a grain 
mill and could not be put out. 

The children got their Baking Powder 
and went home and made the finest Bak¬ 
ing Powder Biscuits for tea. 

Flora and Fred said, “What a wonder¬ 
ful country you live in. You have Weav¬ 
ers, and windmills, and wooden shoes, 
and Fairies, and Cooking Clubs. We are 
glad we came to Holland to visit you.” 

.. Fairy Agitation called, 

“I’m off and away, off and away, 
Perhaps I’ll call another day.” 

The children waved their hands to the 
wee Fairy and said, “We wonder who 
will visit us tomorrow.” 


Chapter Seven 

INFLATION 

THE MAGIC KITCHEN 





















CHAPTER 7 


INFLATION 

THE MAGIC KITCHEN 

Next day Hans and Hilda called to 
Flora and Fred and said, 

“Get up at once, we both implore, 
Our Cooking Club will meet at four; 
Help scrub each window and scrub 
each door, 

Our Cooking Club will meet at four; 

Flora and Fred laughed and said, 

“We’d like to help, as you suppose, 

But Oh! you wear such funny 
clothes.” 

They could not help but laugh at the 
funny caps the children wore and at 
Hans’ baggy trousers and Hilda’s many 


87 


88 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


petticoats and they laughed still more 
at the “clump-clump-clump” of the wood¬ 
en shoes. Hans showed one pair of shoes 
he was carving figures on. 

“Hurry hurry, hurry,” cried Hans, 
“Let us get breakfast and clean up the 
kitchen.” 

Flora said, “How cute these little beds 
are, built in the wall.” 

My, how the children scrubbed the 
kitchen with its tiled floor and how they 
cleaned the house inside and out. At ex¬ 
actly four o’clock the Cooking Club ar¬ 
rived. They all came on their skates 
and the subject they had to discuss was 
what they were to make at their next 
meeting. 

Hilda and Hans introduced both Flora 
and Fred, 

Who listened a while and then they 

said. 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 89 


‘‘At our next meeting let us make 
bread,” 

The others said, “Hurrah for Flora and 
Fred.” 

They decided to practice making bread 
at home for a week, for Holland children 
usually took their bread to the Baker 
when it was ready for the oven. 

Before the Club broke up, Hans said, 
“I will tell you a story about Old Peter 
Pipe. He smoked from morning ’till 
night and was never seen without his 
pipe. He had pipes of wood, and clay, 
and amber, and some of his pipes were 
decorated with gold. He collected rare 
pipes and said every one must smoke at 
his funeral, and he left a pipe and a bag 
of tobacco to every friend. 

Willie Why said, “Why did he smoke 
so much?” 


90 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


The Calico Girl said, “All the men in 
Holland smoke.” 

Bennie Behind-Hand said, “A good 
many boys smoke here, too.” 

Sunny Sue said, “Tell us what kind of 
bread to make.” 

Hilda and Hans said, 

“We will make any Good-Health Rule, 
you see; 

We will each bring our own recipe.” 

The Tiny Tots ran home, calling, 

“Hurrah! Hurrah! if the dykes don’t leak, 
We all will meet again next week.” 

The Calico Girl took Flora and Fred to 
her home for the week and Hilda and 
Hans said, 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 91 


“Let’s practice before we go to bed; 

We must learn to make some bread.” 

They heard a tinkling sound and saw 
a wee fairy sitting cross-legged on the 
shelf. 

Said the Fairy, called Inflation, 

“I come by my own invitation; 

Your voice has such a cheerful 
sound, 

The fairies like to come around.” 

The Fairy hid at once, but everything 
in the kitchen grew lively. The Kitchen 
Stove said, 

“I would really do all I could, 

If you’d feed me plenty of wood.” 

Hans said he would get an armful of 
wood, and he fed the fire almost too 
much, while the Fairy shouted, 


92 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


“Oh, Hans and Hilda, have a care; 
Fairy Inflation is hiding 1 there.” 

The Old Kettle sang, 

“Here I am, I’ll bubble, bubble, 

Look out, or you may get in trou¬ 
ble.” 

Hilda mixed so many things together, 
and her yeast rose so light, and her bread 
dough rose so very high, that Hans got 
an old bellows for fun and began to blow 
it, while Hilda’s merry eyes twinkled. 

They cried, 

“Bread Baking is fun, 

“Bread Baking is fun, 

Work and work ’till you are 
done.” 

Fairy Inflation called, 

“To be good cooks you will grow bolder, 
When you are a few years older; 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 93 

But little Tiny Tots it’s said, 

Had better make a simple bread.” 

Hans put the griddle on his stove and 
Hilda cleared out her pans and kettles 
and followed a Good-Health Rule called, 

“Nut Bread 

Of Granulated Sugar take a cup, 

One Egg put in and stir it up; 

One Cup milk, one Cup nuts, too, 
Two Cups even of flour will do; 

Of Baking Powder four level spoons, 
A pinch of salt, you’ll bake it soon; 

In greased pan you have on hand 
For twenty minutes let it stand; 

If you put in things like these, 

Bake about forty minutes, please. 

Hans and Hilda laughed and cracked 
the cup of walnuts and chopped them 
fine and mixed up the nut bread. They 
said, “This bread will be fine for our 


94 Flora and. Fred Play Housekeeping 


lunch pails and it is so easy to make, even 
Tiny Tots can make it well.” 

Hans sat down by the stove on one side 
and Hilda sat on the other. The big ket¬ 
tle hummed so loudly they fell asleep, 
leaving their nut .bread to rise on the 
stool. 

They thought when they awoke that 
the Fairy must have baked the bread; 
they did not know that mother had slip¬ 
ped it in the oven and out again. When 
they awoke there was a lovely loaf of nut 
bread on the table, baked a beautiful 
brown. 

Said the Nut Bread, “If you please, 
For two slices do not tease, 

And if you are very good, 

I’d ask you well to chew your food; 
And do not make a mistake, 

Large mouthfuls to ever take; 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 95 


Good-Health lessons please repeat, 
Keep your mouth closed while you 
eat.” 

Hilda and Hans began to make a Cook 
Book. They wrote in it every useful thing 
they could learn and they said, “There 
are so many things we want to learn to 
cook. Can’t we invite the Cooking Club 
to supper next week and make every¬ 
thing we eat?” 

Mother smiled and said, 

“Fairy Inflation must be around, 
What you say has a bragging sound; 
Are you sure that you are able 
To cook a supper for the table?” 

Hilda and Hans said, “We might ask 
each of the Tiny Tots to bring one thing 
and have a Pot Luck supper.” They wrote 
tiny cards and sent one to each member 
of the Cooking Club. 


96 Flora and Fred Plav Housekeeping 

The cards said, 

“We invite the Club once more 
To cook one thing and come at four; 
We enjoy things like these; 

A picnic supper is sure to please.” 

Billy Brag said, when he got his invita¬ 
tion, 


“To cook the finest thing I’ll try.” 
Fairy Inflation laughed in passing 
by. 

Hilda and Hans made up a new song 
which they sang to the tune of Lightly 
Row,” 

“Cooking is fun, cooking is fun, 
When the work is once begun; 
Cooking is fun, cooking is fun, 

Fun for every one.” 



© K. CO. INC. N.Y. 


857-t INFLATION 













Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 97 

We are skillful, as you see, 

With our rule or recipe; 

Cooking - is fun, cooking is fun, 

Fun for every one.” 







/ 4 


Chapter Eight 

ADORATION 

FAIRY ADVICE 











CHAPTER 8 


ADORATION 

FAIRY ADVICE 

The Fairy Adoration said, 

“You cannot always plan ahead; 
On the Cooking Club I’ll frown, 

If they don’t come from Good 
Health Town.” 

Hans and Hilda cried, “We hear a 
Fairy singing.” 

Fred and Flora said, “Where is the 
Fairy?” 


Hans and Hilda said, “She is singing a 
song about our Cooking Club.” 

They all listened and heard the Fairy 
sing, 


101 


102 Mora and Fred Play Housekeeping 

“If you’ll play the Good-Health Game, 
Holland children will do the same; 
For Healthy children I always seek; 
Do you take a bath each week? 

All the children laughed and one after 
another they took a full bath in the tub. 
They sang, 

“We’ll be sweet and clean for the Cook¬ 
ing Club; 

Hurrah! hurrah! for a bath in the tub.” 
The Fairy said, 

“Do you brush your teeth well every day? 
Do you listen to what Good-Health 
Fairies say?” 


All the children brushed their teeth 
and then ran merrily down to breakfast. 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 103 

The Fairy hid under the table and 
when she heard them plan their Cooking' 
Club supper she sang, 

“Eat more vegetables and fruit, 

Eat apples every day; 

Eat more vegetables and fruit, 

In Good Health Town they say.” 

Fairy Adoration admired the children’s 
sweet, clean, smiling faces and suggest¬ 
ed many healthy things to them. She 
said, 


“Milk is good for everyone; 

Better leave coffee and tea alone.” 

She saw that Hilda did not drink much 
water and she said, 

“If you’d be healthy, the Fairies say, 
Drink plenty of water every day.” 

Hilda said, “I want corn bread for sup¬ 
per.” 


104 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 

Hans said, “I want cocoa for supper.” 

Flora and Fred said, “Oh, do let us go 
out into your garden and gather lettuce 
for a salad. We know how to make salad 
dressing.” 

They ran out into the cutest little gar¬ 
den in the world. There were neat little 
rows of vegetables and flowers and tu¬ 
lips, tulips everywhere. 

There was a mirror hanging outside 
the house on the wall that reflected the 
neat little garden. 

There was an odd-looking wheel bar- 
row in the garden. It had no wheels but 
three handles at both ends. 

The children cried, “See the Stork! 
See the Stork!” 























Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 105 

Hans and Hilda ran out and said, 

“Be still as a mouse, still as a mouse, 
Perhaps the Stork will build on our 
house.” 

Sure enough, the Stork rested on the 
chimney. The children hoped it would 
build a nest there, for it ate toads and 
frogs and they always thought if a 
stork came to nest on the chimney it 
brought them good luck. 

The Postman brought a letter from 
the Calico Girl who said she could not 
come to the Cooking Club supper that 
night and Willie Why telephoned, “Why 
not put off the supper a while?” He ex¬ 
plained, 

“Why are we in the doleful dumps? 
So many members have the mumps.” 


106 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 

Bennie Behind-Hand sent word he 
couldn’t come and even Sunny Sue said 
she could not come, so the Twins all said, 

“We will not worry any more, 

We’ll plan a supper for just us 
four.” 

Fairy Adoration said merrily, 

“Change your plans and be merry and 
good, 

As Cooking Club children always 
should.” 

Flora and Fred washed the lettuce 
carefully and put several leaves on each 
plate. Then they sliced an apple very 
thin and put on the lettuce. They then 
cracked some walnuts and took out the 
halves carefully and put on top of the 
apples and lettuce and they had a pretty 
plate of salad. Flora said, “I will make 


Mora and Fred Play Housekeeping 107 


some salad dressing and Fred may cook 
it.” 


She said, 

“A yolk of an egg we take today, 

And teaspoon of butter anyway; 
One-half teaspoon of mustard, too, 
One teaspoon of salt will do; 

Two tablespoons of sugar use, 

One cup of milk or cream, as you 
choose; 

You have finished all your toil, 
When three minutes you let it boil.” 

Fairy Adoration said, as the children 
stirred the dressing and took it off 
smooth and yellow, 

“All over the world, if I should look, 

I never could find a neater cook.” 

Hans went out for a cask of water and 
Hilda said, 


108 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


“Soft Corn Bread, soft Corn Bread, 

Is a favorite with all, it is said; 

This rule you will say is fine as silk, 
Break one egg into two cups of sour 
milk; 

One sifted cup of corn meal put in, 
And a teaspoon salt when you begin, 
A teaspoon saleratus, too, 

And your work is almost through; 
Pour into a greased pan hot, 

Bake fifteen minutes like as not; 
You’ll call the soft corn bread so nice, 
You will want another slice; 

When placed upon the table soon, 
You’ll serve the corn bread with a 
spoon.” 

Hilda put a little corn bread in a small 
pan to try and as it baked exactly right, 
she put her corn bread in two pans and 
soon it was baked a pretty golden brown. 

Hans begged for a piece of the small 
loaf to try and Flora and Fred had a piece 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 109 


and then they said, “You cute little Dutch 
Twins, we want to take your picture.” 

They made Hilda hold two loaves of 
bread, one under each arm, and Hans 
stood by laughing as he bit into the little 
loaf. 

Fairy Adoration said, 

“I’ve travelled far from sea to sea, 

This picture is cute as cute can be; 

Hurrah! for the Cooking Club well be¬ 
gun, 

Hurrah! for the Tiny Tots every one.” 

Fred surprised them when they sat 
down at the table by having the cocoa all 
ready. 

He said, “This is the way we make co¬ 
coa in America, 


110 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


One tablespoon cocoa in one cup water 
boil, 

Just three minutes take for the toil; 

Add two tablespoons sugar, of milk 
four cups, 

As soon as hot please take it up.” 

Flora dropped a marshmallow into 
each cup to make it look pretty. The 
children cried, 

“ ’Tis jolly fun each member under¬ 
stands, 

To learn to cook with wee little hands; 

Follow your rule with an oven hot, 

You’re bound to succeed as like as not.” 

Fairy Adoration peeped in the window 
and said, 

“These Tiny Tots, we all agree, 

Are just as useful as can be.” 


Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 111 


Says the Fairy Adoration, 

“This supper’s beyond all expecta¬ 
tion.” 




Chapter Nine 

CONTEMPLATION 

EDAM CHEESE 


t 




CHAPTER 9 


CONTEMPLATION 

EDAM CHEESE 

“If you please, if you please, 

We all like Edam cheese; 

We will eat good things like these, 
Made by using Edam cheese.” 

One day Hans and Hilda said to Flora 
and Fred, “We must go and get an Edam 
cheese.” 

Flora said, “Will we go in a canal 
boat?” 


Fred said, “Will we go in your dog¬ 
cart?” 

Hilda said, “We will hitch the old dog 
to the cart and drive to Rotterdam.” 


115 


116 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 

Hans said, “ It is a long- ride, so we will 
hitch two dogs to the cart.” 

The children enjoyed the ride. They 
saw many windmills in this land where 
there was water everywhere in sight. 
The big drawbridge opened and closed 
and the children drove safely over. 

Hilda asked how far it was to the store 
and a man said, “It is two pipes to the 
store.” He meant you could smoke two 
pipes before you arrived. The children 
grew hungry and ate their lunch they 
had brought with them and they brought 
a cask of water. 

The gayly painted ships in the canals 
were a delight to look at and many peo¬ 
ple lived in the boats. 

A boy passed with a cheese in his cart. 
Hans said, “We will not have to go on to 
the store. I will buy this boy’s cheese.” 


Fred and Flora Play Housekeeping 117 

The boy had the Edam Cheese in a 
wheelbarrow. He had handles at both 
ends of his wheelbarrow. He said, “I will 
sell you my cheese after I have been to 
the Weigh House to weigh it.” His cheese 
was wrapped in bright colored cloth. He 
soon went to the Weigh House and came 
back and sold his cheese. The children 
drove merrily home and Fairy Contem¬ 
plation, who hid under the cart, sang, 


“I really do not mean to tease, 

But one thing tell me, please; 

Think of useful things like these, 
Name some things you cook with 
cheese.” 

The children had a merry ride home 
and stopped and asked every member of 
their Cooking Club to come tomorrow 
night and bring something cooked with 
cheese. 


118 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 

t 

Said Hans and Hilda, “Cheese and rice 

Make a dish that’s very nice.” 

Merrily said Flora and Fred, 

“We enjoy cheese and bread.” 

Hilda said, “Do you just mean a slice 
of bread and a slice of cheese?” 

“We would add eggs and butter and 
bread, 

Milk and seasoning,” said Flora and 
Fred. 

The Fairy said, 

“Older folks have the habit 
Of making what they call Welsh 
Rarebit.” 

When the children got home Hans got 
a jar and Hilda cut up some of the cheese 
to put in it for safe keeping. 


Fred and Flora Play Housekeeping 119 


Said the funny little Dutch fire, 

“Of thrifty habits do not tire; 
Please remember things like these, 
Save every particle of cheese.” 

Hans and Hilda laughed. 

Said the little square Dutch table, 
“To save every slice you’re able.” 

Said the tiles upon the floor, 

“I’ve seen thrifty Cooks before.” 

Said the chair, “I’ll watch and see 
How very thrifty you can be.” 

Said the pot upon the shelf, 

“Have some cocoa, help yourself.” 

Hilda cooked some macaroni in water 
until it was soft, then grated cheese and 
put over it, and put it in the oven to 
brown. 




120 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 

Flora and Fred said this was a fine dish. 

At exactly supper time in trooped the 
Cooking - Club and 

Each one had made a dish, if you please, 
Each one had made a dish with cheese. 

The Calico Girl brought a dish called 
Baked Cheese, and Sunny Sue brought 
cheese and rice, and Bennie Behind-Hand 
brought a cheese custard. Johnny Jump- 
Up brought a cheese cake. 

Flora and Fred liked everything cook¬ 
ed with cheese, but they liked the cheese 
sandwiches best of all, and they said it 
was good for our health to eat cheese be¬ 
cause it was so nourishing. They said it 
is a food rich in protein. 

Fred said, “No matter how we feel, 

We should balance every meal; 



’ 850*2 CONTEMPLATION 




© K. CO. INC. N.Y. 




























Fred and Flora Play Housekeeping 121 


Vegetables will form a group, 

Fruits and fats, remember soup; 
Protein foods, like eggs and cheese, 

Do try to remember, please; 

Cereals are good, they say, 

And some milk we should drink each 
day.” 

The Holland children were glad to 
learn some health rules and Fred and 
Flora begged for the rule for making 
cheese sandwiches. Perhaps you would 
like to make some, too. 

Take one and one-half pounds grated 
cheese, 

One egg and one-half pint milk, if you 
please; 

A bit of flour, two peppers add, 

Flavor with lemon, or vanilla, if it can 
be had; 

Pepper and salt, pepper and salt, 

Add if your taste is not in fault; 


122 Mora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


Cook five minutes over the fire, 

Spread on toasted bread, if you desire. 

The Cooking - Club said their Cheese 
Supper was a great success. They sang 
a merry song to the tune of “Yankee 
Doodle,” 

“If you join our Cooking Club, 

I’ll tell you what we’ll do, Sir, 

If you’ll join our Cooking Club, 

We’ll serve you something new, Sir. 

Chorus 

Ha! ha! ha! then fall in line, 

We give you fair warning, 

Ha! ha! ha! our cooking’s fine, 

Every night and morning.” 

Fairy Contemplation had had a fine 
time seeing the children enjoy their sup¬ 
per, and she asked what they would cook 
at their next meeting. 


Fred and Flora Play Housekeeping 123 

They suggested all kinds of things 
but it was Fred who said, “Sometimes the 
bread is all out and it is almost supper 
time and the store is closed, and we want 
some hot biscuits for supper;” and it was 
Flora who said, “We’ll give you an Amer¬ 
ican recipe for Tiny Tot Drop Biscuits 
and we call them that because we drop 
them in the pans to bake.” 

Fairy Contemplation said, 

“Ha! ha! ha! before you come, 

You can practice those at home.” 

The Tiny Tots went merrily homeward, 
singing, “Cheese it, cheese it, cheese it,” 
for they were very merry children after 
all. 



Chapter Ten 

REALIZATION 

THE KERMIS 











CHAPTER 10 


REALIZATION 

THE KERMIS 

Flora and Fred crept down one morn¬ 
ing 1 into the little Dutch kitchen and be¬ 
gan to make the fire and set the table. 
Hilda and Hans soon followed them and 
shouted, 

“Ha! ha! we have jolly plays, 

But you have such foreign ways; 
’Tis very funny to relate, 

You put your napkins on the plates; 
Under the plates we place them so, 
Clumpety, clump our queer shoes 
go; 

Ho! ho! the plates upon the wall 
Sit and stare upon us all.” 


127 


128 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 

Flora and Fred said, “What a funny- 
idea it is to put napkins under your 
plates, but our ways seem queer to you, 
too, and we could not even keep the wood¬ 
en shoes on. 

“Hark! what is that?” asked Fred. 

“Hark! what is that?” asked Flora. 

The tulip in the flower pot was singing 
softly, 

“Swinging low and swinging high, 
Tulips sing a lullaby; 

Every tulip that is able 
Swings a fairy in its cradle.” 

Flora and Fred crept nearer and near¬ 
er the pretty red tulip and looked down 
into it. Out sprang a Fairy as tiny as a 
thistledown and cried, “I know so many 
Fairy Tales about the tulips! I know of 
one man who had every tulip bulb dug up 


























Flora and Fred Play Housekeeing 129 

in his garden and the Fairies always 
teased him after that. They made the 
doors in his house creak and his milk turn 
sour and his cattle ran away. Next door 
an old lady lived who loved to plant tulip 
bulbs. She took great care of her gar¬ 
den and the Fairies slept in the tulips, 
and every night when she slept they crept 
into her kitchen and did her work.” 

“We must remember and plant tulip 
bulbs when we go home,” said Flora and 
Fred, “for we love them.” 

The Fairy said, 

“I’m known o’er all creation, 

My name is Fairy Realization; 

I know you’ll love me every one. 
Because I stand for work well 
done.” 

So saying the Fairy climbed up the tu¬ 
lip leaves and crept into the tulip, sing¬ 
ing, 


130 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


“Tulips red and tulips white 
Everywhere are a delight; 

Tulips nodding in a row, 

Stirred by breezes as they blow.” 

Hilda and Hans said, 

“Ho! ho! ho! we must begin 
To stir our biscuits and drop them 
in.” 

Hilda took one cup of flour and one big 
tablespoon of lard, and one egg, and one 
teaspoon sugar, and about one cup of 
milk, and a teaspoon of Baking Powder, 
and beat the mixture while Hans greas¬ 
ed four little pans, and one smaller pan, 
and Hilda dropped in the biscuits and 
baked them twenty minutes until they 
were a beautiful brown color on top. 

The twins sang, 

“If you do not make mistake,” 

Drop Biscuits are nice to make.” 


Fred and Flora Play Housekeeping 131 


They talked over Cooking Club plans 
and Hans said, “We might all go to the 
Kermis and have a holiday.” 

Hilda was busy knitting when she was 
not cooking and she counted her stitches 
out loud, saying, 

“One, two, three, one, two, three, 

At the Kermis, what will we see?” 

Flora and Fred were much excited, you 
may be sure. They said, “What shall we 
see at the Kermis? May we start at once?” 

The children sent word to the members 
of the Cooking Club and they all started 
next day, riding in dog carts to the Ker¬ 
mis. 

The bells rang at noon and gayly 
dressed people danced in the streets. 


132 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 

It was time for the out-door markets 
to open. People bought and sold things 
on the streets. 

Some people rode to the Kermis. 

Some people skated to the Kermis. 

The children had some money to spend. 

Hans bought a new pipe and Hilda 
bought a new cap. 

Flora and Fred said to Hilda, “We have 
seen you in a good many new caps al¬ 
ready.” 

When the Kermis was over the people 
rang the bells again and said, “The Ker¬ 
mis is dead.” 

Hans said, “In some towns we have a 
Kermis several times a year.” 


Fred and Flora Play Housekeeping 133 

The children bought a loaf of bread at 
the Kermis. When they cut the bread 
next day, they had a fine surprise. There 
were gifts baked in the bread. 

They cut one slice—out came a silver 
thimble for Hilda. They cut another 
slice—out came a tiny pipe for Fred and 
one for Hans. 

Flora and Fred said, “What a cute idea 
it is to bake presents in bread. Perhaps 
we will do that when we give a party at 
home some day. Mother once did bake a 
cake with presents in it. 

Fairy Realization said, 

“Come and get your paint-box out, 
I’ve an idea, without a doubt.” 

She had the children cut a piece of pa¬ 
per double, shaped like a biscuit, and 
write inside the recipe. 




134 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


The children said, “What shall we cook 
tomorrow and where shall we go?” 

Said Hilda and Hans, “If we were you, 
We’d like to ride in a wooden shoe.” 

“In a wooden shoe!” exclaimed Flora 
and Fred, “how exciting! Can we really 
ride in a wooden shoe?” 

Fairy Realization answered, as they 
nodded their sleepy heads, 

“Very fairy-like it seems, 

Come with me to the Land of 
Dreams; 

You can ride in whatever you 
choose, 

In the land of windmills and wood¬ 
en shoes.” 

The children’s heads went nid-nid- 
nodding and they were all now fast 
asleep. 


Chapter Eleven 

DISSIPATION 

A RIDE IN A WOODEN SHOE 






CHAPTER 11 


DISSIPATION 

t 

A RIDE IN A WOODEN SHOE 

In a wooden shoe come let us ride, 

In Holland o’er the sea; 

Seated safely side by side, 

Strange sights await you and me. 

The Dreamland Fairy said, “Come Hil¬ 
da, come Hans, come Flora and Fred, 
step this way. 

You can go anywhere you choose, 

If you ride in Wooden Shoes.” 

The children watched one of their shoes 
grow larger and larger. They stepped 
inside and sailed out the window, off and 
away. 


137 


138 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 

“Hurrah! hurrah!” cried the Dutch 
Twins. 

“Hurrah! hurrah!” cried the American 
Twins. 

“Hurrah! we ride over the house-tops 
off and away.” 

They rode over Zaondam and saw the 
cabin of Peter The Great. Hilda said, 
“Once he disguised himself like a sailor, 
so he could learn everything there was 
to know about ship-building. No one 
dreamed he was a great man. When he 
got home he built a wonderful ship and 
everyone said, ‘How did our Emperor 
learn to build a ship?’ Then he told his 
story.” 

Flora and Fred said, “We will always 
remember the story. We are glad we 
saw the cabin of Peter The Great.” 


Fred and Flora Play Housekeeping 139 

The Wooden Shoe sailed high over the 
windmills and the dikes; high over the 
cottages with tiled roofs; high over the 
gardens with tulip beds. They sailed 
over the Island of Walcheren. They saw 
many steps leading up to the top of a 
tower. They saw people climbing the 
tower called “Long John.” They heard 
the chimes ringing. 

Flora said, “See the orphan children!” 

They wore one red shoe and one black 
shoe and a uniform half red and half 
black, to show where they belonged. 

Fred said, 

“It is funny in Holland, you’ll agree, 

Many things seem strange to me; 

We could never sleep at all, 

In a bed built in the wall; 

And your oven, very wide, 

Is built in the chimney side; 


140 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 

We could never carry news, 

In such funny wooden shoes.” 

They sailed over the Tower of Tears 
from which point Dutch sailors set sail 
and their families were never sure if 
they would see them again. 

They sailed over boats in the canal and 
over the Royal Palace of Amsterdam. 
The palace is built on piles in the water, 
it has such a small door for an entrance 
it has been called “The House Without a 
Door.” Across from it was a building 
called the “Exchange” that had such a 
large door it was called “The Door With¬ 
out a House.” 

They sailed over the city of Leyden 
built on ninety islands and sailed down 
to peep into their Japanese Museum, 
which contained Japanese houses and 
idols and many curious things. 


Fred and Flora Play Housekeeping 141 

With a sudden jolt the Shoe came to 
rest. The children all woke up and cried, 

“The Tiny Tot’s Cooking Club, we think, 
Should have something to eat and some¬ 
thing to drink; 

We have something to think of pleas¬ 
ant and new, 

Hurrah! for a ride in a Wooden Shoe.” 

Hans said, “I would like a drink of 
milk and some of that elegant cottage 
pudding you made, Hilda.” 

Flora cut the loaf of pudding and Fred 
got two more chairs and the Tiny Tots 
said, 


“How very funny it does seem, 

We all had such a pleasant dream.” 
Fairy Dissipation said, 

“Be happy when you go to bed; 

You never can tell when you’ll sail 
quite, 


142 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 

When you tuck in the covers, late 
at night.” 

The children had a pleasant meal and 
planned for a meeting when all the Tiny 
Tots would be present, and planned what 
wonderful things they would cook. 

Said Hilda and Hans, “Do you suppose 

We’ll ever have money to buy new 
clothes?” 

Flora and Fred said, 

“We’ll soon return home over the sea, 

But we’ll pay you for every recipe; 

This Cottage Pudding is good and 
light; 

Sit down, the recipe to write.” 

Hilda and Hans were pleased to sell 
some recipes, you may be sure. They 
wrote, 


Fred and Flora Play Housekeeping 143 


“Cottage Pudding 
Take one cup of sugar white, 

One cup sweet milk, as I write, 
Three cups flour and two eggs, 

(For another slice each one begs). 
One tablespoon of butter use, 

A little salt add, if you choose; 

Two teaspoons Baking Powder add; 
Bake half an hour and you’ll be glad; 
A Cottage Pudding you can make, 
Without a single small mistake.” 


Said the Fairy Dissipation, 
“Soon I’ll take a short vacation; 
Have all the fun you can today, 
And enjoy your cooking play.” 


Hans made a pair of wooden shoes for 
Fred and a pair for Flora. He carved 
quaint pictures on them and the children 
said, 


144 Flora and Fred Play Housekeeping 


“We’ll never forget Holland or you, 
Or our wonderful ride in tjhe Wooden 
Shoe.” 

They had a merry time and looked for¬ 
ward to the next meeting of the Cooking 
Club. 

To go to the Club each member teased, 
And he was to cook whatever he pleased; 
Any time a member wishes, 

He may suggest left-over dishes. 

Hilda and Hans suggested they put 
their kitchen in order, singing to the tune 
of “Twinkle Little Star,” 

“Jolly cooks that we have seen 
Like to keep their kitchen clean; 
Have a place for everything, 

Thus we heard the Fairy sing.” 



mmaammmmmmmma 




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858-2 DISSIPATION 


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Chapter Twelve 

HESITATION 

GOOD BYE 



CHAPTER 12 


HESITATION 

GOOD BYE 

Little Fairy Hesitation 

Waits a while today; 

Little Fairy Hesitation 

Has so much to say, 

“Where are you going? 

What will you do?” 

The Little Fairy sings to you. 

One day the Calico Girl started out with 
something she had cooked in her little 
covered basket and she met Fairy Hesita¬ 
tion who asked where she was going. 


147 


148 Fred and Flora Play Housekeeping 


The Calico Girl said, 

“I’m off and away, off and away, 

To the Tiny Tots’ Cooking Club to¬ 
day.” 

The Fairy said, 

“Are you sure you cook the best you can? 
Do you go by rules? Have you a plan?” 

At this very minute Willie Why came 
along and said, “Why are you waiting 
here?” He did not see the Fairy, for she 
hid in the Calico Girl’s basket. 

The Calico Girl said, “I was talking to 
a Fairy.” The Fairy sang out, 

“Where are you going, by the by? 
Where are you going, Willie Why?” 

Willie Why said, 

“I’m off and away, off and away, 

To the Tiny Tots’ Cooking Club to¬ 
day.” 


Fred and Flora Play Housekeeping 149 

Just then Johnny Jump-Up appeared, 
carrying 1 something in a shoe-box and 
the Fairy Hesitation asked where he was 
going and he replied, 

“I’m off and away, off and away, 

To the Tiny Tots’ Cooking Club to¬ 
day.” 

Then Sunny Sue, and Bennie Behind- 
Hand, and Little Button-Off, and Simple 
Simon, and a whole crowd of children 
came and fairly shouted, 

“We’re off and away, off and away, 

To the Tiny Tots’ Cooking Club to¬ 
day.” 

And every member thought it best, 
To invite a little guest. 

Hans and Hilda went to a little built- 
in cupboard in the wall and got out all 
kinds of good things to eat and set a big 


150 Fred and Flora Play Housekeeping 

table and in trooped all the club mem¬ 
bers. Some of them were shy about tell¬ 
ing what they had cooked. 

\ 

Hilda and Hans had made ham sand¬ 
wiches and lemonade and Flora and Fred 
had beaten the whites of two eggs and 
put sugar enough in to make a frosting 
and had frosted some crackers and set 
them in the oven to brown. 

The Calico Girl had made a Hominy 
Loaf. 

“I took a cup of hominy grits,” she said, 
“This I cooked a day ahead; 

One cup chopped walnuts I added, too, 
One cup of bread crumbs will also do, 
One egg, one-half tablespoon butter, 
Moistened with cream, sets one a-flut¬ 
ter; 

Mustard and salt we add to taste, 
Bake half an hour and no gas waste.” 


Fred and Flora Play Housekeeping 151 

The children all said the Hominy Loaf 
was so good it tasted like meat. 

Willie Why said, “Why do I have to tell 
what I brought?” 

Johnny Jump-Up began to laugh for 
he had peeped in Willie Why’s box and 
saw he had brought a box of dates. 

The children said, 

“We have time one thing more to make; 

Let’s use the dates and have a cake.” 

Fairy Hesitation kept them talking a 
long time, but Flora and Fred mixed one 
and one-half cups of brown sugar and 
one-half cup of lard and one-half cup 
sour milk, one teaspoon soda, two cups 
flour, one package dates, one cup wal¬ 
nuts, two eggs and a pinch of salt, and 
soon they made a wonderful Date Cake. 


152 Fred and Flora Play Housekeeping 

They never made the cake before, 
But ’tis so good you’ll want some 
more. 

Suddenly, without a bit of warning, 
Little Boo-Hoo began to cry and one af¬ 
ter another began to cry. 

Fairy Hesitation said, 

“Why do you cry? Why do you cry? 

Is it because you must say good-bye?” 

It was fourteen minutes before any¬ 
body could find out why they were cry¬ 
ing. Then Sunny Sue said, 

“To tell the reason is sometimes handy, 
We all forgot to cook some candy.” 

Then Flora winked at Fred and Fred 
winked at Hans. Hans winked at Hilda 
and Fairy Hesitation said, 













Fred and Flora Play Housekeeping 153 


“I don’t know just how you feel, 

Eat the candy after the meal; 

Too much sweet is not good for you, 
But you may have a piece or two.” 

Sunny Sue went to the little built-in 
cupboard and took out some Sugar Can¬ 
dy. It was heaped up on plates and 
each Tiny Tot took the recipe home, 

“Get three cups of sugar brown, 

If any can be had in town; 

Half a cup of milk, I beg, 

You will add and butter size of an 

egg; 

A pinch of cream tartar, I say, 

Add and let it boil away; 

Dropped in a cup of water cold, 

It makes a ball soft, I am told; 

Beat and pour over nuts in a pan, 
Eat it up as fast as you can.” 

The children had a merry time and 
said, 


154 Fred and Flora Play Housekeeping 

“We like to cook so well, it’s queer, 

We want to cook now all the year; 

But school bells ring, as you remem¬ 
ber, 

Every year in glad September.” 

Sure enough, September had come and 
Flora and Fred had to go home across 
the sea and the other American children 
had to go home, and all the children had 
to go to school, for vacation was over. 
They all cried, 

“To meet again, we all will try; 

To the Cooking Club good-bye, good¬ 
bye.” 

Hans and Hilda watched the children 
run down the road. They had been so 
busy seeing that every one had supper 
that they had eaten hardly anything at 
all, so Hilda said, 

“Suppose I make cocoa for two, 

And cut the Cottage Pudding new?” 


Fred and Flora Play Housekeeping 155 


Fairy Hesitation said, 

“It’s rather late, at any rate; 

Don’t you think you’d better wait?” 

The children laughed and said, 

“What a funny Fairy, 

Really, you must be contrary.” 

They went to the cute little set-in 
shelves and set-in cupboard in the wall 
and soon 

Hilda had everything fine on a tray, 
Hans said, “Ha, ha, we are merry and 
gay.” 

They put the tray on a stool and drew 
up two little chairs and said, 

“We’re Tiny Tots, Tiny Tots, 

We’re glad with never a care; 
We’re Tiny Tots, Tiny Tots, 

You’ll find us everywhere; 


156 Fred and Flora Play Housekeeping 

If you will look within this book, 
Perhaps you’ll find the road we 
took.” 

Fairy Hesitation said, 

“Children are found o’er all creation; 
Cooking’s a matter of education; 
Hurrah! hurrah! you hear me call, 
Hurrah for Tiny Tots one and all.” 

Hilda and Hans had a fine lunch as the 
Fairy went out the door and said, 

“A Cooking Club is lots of fun, 

And can be formed by any one; 
Just keep on cooking ’till you’re 
done. 

A .Cooking Club is lots of fun.” 

Letters came from the American chil¬ 
dren and they said they made their own 
cook books and learned to cook one new 


Fred and Flora Play Housekeeping 157 

thing every month, even in school time, 
and put the recipe in the Cook Books 
they made. 

Hilda and Hans had their picture tak¬ 
en and sent it to Flora and Fred. They 
called the Picture “Hesitation” and 
though Flora and Fred looked for the 
Fairy they could not find her. Perhaps 
she was hiding back of the curtain or in 
the toe of one of the Wooden Shoes. 

Hilda and Hans said, as they skated 
merrily to school in September, 

“To cook on Saturdays we’ll try, 

To the Cooking Club, good-bye, 
good-bye; 

We say good-bye ,we smile and then, 
All say, ‘How do you do’ again.” 
























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